If you're like many would-be entrepreneurs, you have the
desire and determination to start your own business. You're
just at a loss as to which business to start.

That's where 101 Best Businesses to Start by Russell
Roberts and The Philip Leif Group comes in-with advice,
inspirational stories and resources on top business ideas.
We've asked Roberts to share his advice to help you make 2001
the first year of your entrepreneurial journey.

Entrepreneur.com: What
traits are inherent in a successful entrepreneur?

Russell Roberts: The main
trait is you really have to be motivated to change your lifestyle.
Many of the people who started their own business [that I
interviewed for the book] were involved in another type of career
or profession and were very unhappy with it. It was either taking
too much of their time or they weren't happy with the
advancement potential so they sought another way to make their mark
in the business world. You have to be extremely motivated because
starting a new business takes a lot of time, energy and commitment
on your part.

"You
have to be extremely motivated because starting a new business
takes a lot of time, energy and commitment on your
part."

Entrepreneur.com: Many
people who want to start their own business are unsure of what
field they should go into. What advice do you have for them?

Roberts: First, you
shouldn't get involved in a business you might hate just
because it happens to be profitable. For example, if you don't
like to clean your house or apartment, don't start a cleaning
service business even if you think it's going to be profitable.
You have to try to do something you've been interested in or
that you think you could have an interest in that could also have
the potential to make money.

Another thing [you have to do is] really look at the overall
market, find a niche and try to service that niche. Obviously, if
there are 5,000 pet-sitter businesses in a particular area, you
don't want to start another one. To be successful, you have to
think of a new angle on something you're interested in.

Entrepreneur.com: How can
someone determine how much potential a business idea or industry
has?

Roberts: You really have to
research it. The one constant I found in talking to a wide variety
of entrepreneurs is they did a lot of research [before starting]
and were very careful before they made the commitment. They
didn't just go off one day and say, "I'm going to do
this." They did a lot of research. They analyzed markets. They
analyzed their abilities. They analyzed their start-up costs, the
possible downsides, and how much [financial resources] they would
need to have in reserve. You have to really analyze these things
very, very thoroughly because once you make the commitment, you
can't go back.

Entrepreneur.com: What are
hot areas for business ideas?

Roberts: Mainly the
businesses that deal with personal assistance, like personal chefs,
personal coaches, personal assistant or pet sitting, where
you're providing a one-on-one service for [busy] people. You
wouldn't really think about being a personal chef because you
always think people make their own food. But a lot of people
don't have time to do that. They get home at 8 o'clock at
night, they don't know what to eat, and they're eating fast
food. The United States Personal Chef Association has grown
enormously [during the past] few years because people just
don't have time to cook.

Personal assistants is another popular business. A working
couple doesn't have time to run around to pick up laundry, take
a watch to get a battery put in it, and [take care of all those
other mundane errands.] They have a personal assistant do that.

Entrepreneur.com: If you had
one piece of advice for someone looking to start a business, what
would it be?

Roberts: Be prepared to work
a lot harder than you ever worked before, even though you might not
be able to imagine that's possible depending on the stress and
strain of your [current or] previous job. It's not uncommon for
an [entrepreneur to work] 100 or 120 hours in a week because when
you start your own business, it's there all the time and you
can't get away from it. Be prepared to work really hard and
don't get discouraged easily. You really have to stick with it.
A lot of successful entrepreneurs might have given up the ghost if
they'd been easily discouraged when they started out. But they
hung in there and, through determination and perseverance, made the
business work.